In the Hand of Fate
by I Write Big
Summary: After doing a Tarot card reading, Marinette suddenly finds herself in an alternate Paris where she's dating Adrien but she's no longer Ladybug. In fact, nobody is Ladybug and Paris is constantly under attack by Akumas that can't be de-evilized! Life may be hard, but at least Marinette has the boy of her dreams. That's all that matters… right? {One Shot, tell me if you want more}


_So, here's my first Miraculous story for Project ML! You can read it here or you can read it on the Project ML website! You'll find tons of Miraculous content there, including art and stories and some comic dubs! They're dedicated to making Miraculous content year-round._

 _Anyway here's story #1. The premise... write a Miraculous story that somehow has Tarot cards involved!_

Special Thanks to my Betas: The-Bored-Bookworm & misfire ezreal

* * *

 **In the Hand of Fate**  
By: I Write Big

"Player One wins!" announced the pre-recorded digital voice. The pixelated robot form of NAD03 stood triumphant over the crumpled mass of MX-01.

"Come on, dude!" Nino threw his controller on the floor, "When did you get so good at this?"

Adrien gave a cool smirk and folded his hands behind his head. "Ha, if you think I'm good, Nino, you should go a round with Marinette. She's unstoppable at this game. Right, Marinette?"

The girl in question was sitting at a nearby table filled with home-baked snacks her parents had brought up to her room. The mountain of tasty food served as a believable hiding spot to ogle Adrien from. It was all she could do. The simple fact that Adrien Agreste was in her room was sending her brain into overdrive. A sharp bump to her side snapped her out of staring at the dreamy boy. "Huh, what? I mean, yeah! I'm… super good at that… hehe..."

Awkward silence followed for what felt like hours.

"Round Two!" announced the video game and the boys returned to the fight.

"What was that, girl?" Alya whispered from behind a buttery croissant, "He was paying you a compliment!"

Marinette gripped her hair, "I know, I just freaked out! I wasn't prepared for today! You're the one who suggested having this video game tournament in my house!" She pressed her face to the table and groaned. This was going terribly. Alya was always the cool-headed one. She worked so hard to give Marinette dozens of chances to be alone with Adrien, all of which Marinette screwed up. "How do I talk to him without making it weird?"

Alya patted the girl's head, "Hey, you'll get there. You just need to take baby-steps." She thought about it, "How about… you ask him for his number."

"His number? But I already have that. I got it from you."

"Adrien doesn't know that," Alya winked and got up. "Okay, Adrien, you've done enough damage. It's my turn to kick Nino's butt."

"Dude, not cool!"

"Have at it," Adrien handed her the controller.

Marinette's heart stopped as she realized her crush was coming her way. Her body spasmed as it couldn't decide whether it wanted to run or stay. In the end, her indecisiveness was her downfall.

"Thanks for inviting us, Marinette. I'm having a great time." His face was radiant like the sun. She felt like she would melt under the warmth. "...Marinette?"

She blinked as she realized she was staring again, "Ah! That's great! You're having a great time so that's great! You're great! Everything's great! Great! Yay!"

Her gaze drifted past him, towards Alya who mouthed, 'Baby-steps.'

Marinette took a deep breath, steeled herself, and looked straight at the cookie tray for bravery. In the center of the sweets stood the serpent-like body of a jade dragon. Her mom had left it there, telling Marinette it was a good luck charm. The woman had then shot a knowing smile at Adrien which he thankfully didn't see. Marinette was so embarrassed by what her mom was insinuating that she practically shoved the woman out of the room, making sure to quickly thank her and ask her to please not come back. Now, she hoped that little green dragon did have some magic. Marinette knew luck was real, but she was only lucky as Ladybug. How could a normal girl do this?

"Um, Adrien, I was wondering. M-m-maybe, next time, I don't have to invite everyone through Alya." Her eyes followed the dragon to the silver tray, she followed the silver tray to his arm, she followed his arm to his face. He was patiently listening with that same glowing smile full of understanding and happiness, "Maybe… I could invite you if I… had…" she gulped, "Nino's number!"

His eyebrow arched up, "Nino's number?"

Marinette forced a smile and gritted her teeth as her subconscious started kicking her repeatedly, "Yeah, you know, to make getting a hold of him a bit smoother."

"Sure..." he returned the smile, one more believable than hers, and pulled out his phone.

"Dudes, check it out!" Nino slammed what looked like a brick onto the table. Alya stood behind him giving Marinette a wordless apology. "I found these under the cabinet. I think they're like sparrow cards or something."

"They're called Tarot cards, Nino," Alya corrected while grabbing his shoulders, "Now stop trying to avoid losing to a girl and get back to the game."

Adrien shuffled through the cards, their designs were intricate and mysterious. Each held a single word along with the miniature paintings. Marinette could tell they were old. The edges were frayed and bent, but the imagery was still vibrant. She vaguely remembered her dad rifling through this deck many years ago, "I think these belong to my dad… What are they doing in my room?"

"You can use them to predict the future, right?" Nino asked, "Let's totally do that!"

Adrien nodded, "Yeah, that sounds like fun."

Relief washed over Marinette. Now she had more time to work up the courage to ask Adrien. She gave Alya a desperate look.

Alya sighed, "Fine."

A quick online search was all Alya needed in order to figure out how to do a supposedly proper card reading. As proper as a Google search could find. Although, she admitted, the ceremony was much more complicated than she originally thought. Snacks were pushed to the table edges and everybody watched as she placed several cards face down to form an odd shape. "The Hand of Fate," Alya called it, "Constantly moving, taking us along for the ride. Who we doing?"

"Ladies first," Adrien motioned towards Marinette.

Marinette giggled. All the excitement in the air felt silly. At the same time, though, she was… nervous. She wondered what the cards had in store.

Alya flipped the one closest to Marinette. On it was a tall dark obelisk in a dry desert. Its silhouette framed sharply by the burning ball of fire behind it. "The Tower," Alya read off the guide on her phone, "It could mean a sudden change… good or bad."

"Ooooohhh..." Nino fanned his fingers trying to be scary.

Alya cleared her throat and the boy stopped. She then followed the direction the tower pointed until she hit a second card. Pictured there was a man and woman, both wore absolutely nothing. An angel smile down upon them. "Uh oh, The Lovers," Alya playfully sang, "Looks like we got a sudden change _to love_." This launched a round of snickers that left Marinette blushing.

Marinette could feel all three pairs of eyes on her. The only ones she cared about were the green ones next to her. This was too much. "Alya, quit it!" Still, a part of her wanted these cards to actually hold some kind of power.

"Hey, it's not me," Alya shrugged, "This is fate. And fate has one more card to play." Her finger traced the direction of the angel's gaze to a card standing alone in the corner. She flipped it and all the teasing ended.

"Whoa… dark," she heard Nino mutter.

Marinette peaked. Her heart stopped.

On a white horse rode a knight. The medieval armor, heavy and thick. The only opening was the lifted visor resting on the man's forehead. At least, she assumed it was a man. Hard to tell when they have a skull for a face. The unsettling ghoulish creature led the steed across its name: Death.

Alya fumbled with her phone, "R-r-relax, guys, it's not literal," she scanned the screen for an answer. "Oh! It can mean: from known to unknown. That's… vague?"

The world was spinning in Marinette's head. Does this mean her love for Adrien was doomed to fail? Was there nothing she could do? Was there even a point in trying?! She didn't want to think about this. She needed air. She pushed the table away so she could run to the balcony. But then she heard something wobble. In the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of jade fall to the floor followed by a crash.

Blinding light spilled from the stone dragon's remains, quickly engulfing the room.

"Whoa! What's happening?!" cried Nino.

* * *

"Not much, what's happening with you?" Marinette flirted back. She leaned her head on Adrien's shoulder, enjoying the comfort of his arm draped around her. She wished she could stay like this forever, but the walk from school to her house was so short.

"If that's the case, I was thinking maybe we do something today. Just the two of us," he sweetly suggested.

Marinette stopped and clasped Adrien's hands in hers, "Really? You're open? No photoshoots, fencing, or networking dinners?"

"I set aside today a month ahead of time," he puffed out his chest with pride, causing her to laugh at his ridiculous pose. Ideas raced through her imagination, they hadn't been on a date in weeks. Now they had a whole day to themselves and she wanted to do everything!

A terrified scream pierced the air. Several identical white-skinned, red-skirted jesters fled down the streets in fear. Far in the distance sauntered another, only this one wasn't scared. She was confident and angry.

"Oh no..." whispered Marinette before she was pulled into an alley. "Adrien—" Before she could beg him to stay, his lips pressed against hers. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his presence a little while longer.

He took her hands and wrapped her fingers around something small. "Plagg, claws out." In a blast of green, Cat Noir stood before her.

"Let me come with you. I can help," she blurted out.

Both of them hesitated, surprised at her words. Cat Noir recovered first and cupped her cheek, "I'll be back. I promise, princess," he said with bittersweet longing. He leaped up the walls and disappeared.

He would come back. He always did, but never for long. It was hard enough being in love with a fashion model. A fashion model who doubled as a superhero, though? It was a miracle they ever saw each other. She opened the velvet case he had left. There rested two diamond-studded earrings. Happy tears brimmed. She had mentioned so long ago how she always wanted real jewelry but her family couldn't afford them. He must've been paying attention. She removed her cheap plastic pair and put on the gift. She stepped out of the alley and looked at her reflection in a shop window.

Beautiful.

She really did look like a princess.

She would trade them in a second for her prince.

* * *

"This is temporary," Master Fu told Wayzz like he did with every new prisoner.

The little green kwami said nothing to the man, choosing instead to return to meditating in his record player. The man stroked his short, gray beard. The habit brought small comfort during these troubling times. In his long life, he never expected to be responsible for the suffering of so many. A wall of monitors stood before him. They showed similar sterile cells. Sealed off from the outside world, each was home to one poor soul. And he had put them there.

When Hawkmoth first surfaced, Fu had easily found the perfect wielder for the Cat Noir ring. However, he had no such luck with the Ladybug Miraculous. With no way of purifying the Akumas and undoing the damage they inflict, Cat Noir could only break what held the dark butterflies, destroy the insects and free the victims from Hawkmoth's control. While this seemed to work at first, it became apparent that those infected were at greater risk of re-akumatization. They had to be protected, watched, and contained. Fu was forced to turn to the Mayor. The politician came off as naive but he truly cared about the people of Paris. Once he saw the destructive power the Akumas held, he granted Fu full use of La Sante high security prison.

"That cat boy's bringing another one for you, Master Fu," informed the chubby policeman at the door.

"Thank you, Roger."

He watched another monitor as the hero walked the latest de-akumatized victim, a handcuffed girl with long black hair, down the cold corridor. This one was probably another of Adrien's classmates. Hawkmoth had taken a liking to them. It seemed like they kept getting younger. After Cat Noir locked the cell door, Fu turned off the monitor. He could never watch the first day. The child's pain and fear was too great.

"Temporary..." he muttered. In his palm rolled two red and black polkadotted jewels. The power to end that pain and fear locked within. Out of reach without a wielder.

* * *

When an Akuma attacks, the streets shut down until the police give the all clear. In other words, no customers. Instead of staring at the empty bakery, Marinette's mother tried to pass the time by commenting on her new jewelry, "That boy is too good to you, Marinette."

"Why don't we invite him over for dinner as thanks," her father suggested.

Marinette put on a smile, "I'll ask." She absently rubbed the earrings while leaning over the counter. Her parents bustled about, making sure all the breads they probably wouldn't sell today would stay good until tomorrow. That is, if anyone came tomorrow. This area of Paris had become the hub of the most Akuma appearances, which drove all the shoppers away. Each time, her parents would shrug and say it was an off day, but from their frantic pace and long looks at the deserted sidewalks Marinette could tell that that was a lie. She had even overheard them whispering about the possibility of moving. Clearly, they couldn't afford to invite Adrien over for dinner and they were just being nice. "He might need to clear his schedule. It… fills up pretty fast." She didn't want to give her parents any false hope, what with Adrien having to save the world and stuff.

Running out the door to rescue the day.

Leaving her behind.

' _Let me come with you. I can help.'_

What had she been thinking? She had always simply smiled and wished him luck. The very idea of fighting at his side was ridiculous. She had no powers; never threw a single punch in her life. She must be going crazy. Still, in that moment, there had been... something.

Her thumb brushed a bit too hard against one of the prickly edges of the gemstone on her ear and she pulled away with a hiss.

"Honey, you alright?" her dad asked.

"I'm okay, don't worry," Marinette assured while hiding her cut behind her back.

Her mother saw it, "Careful, real diamonds can leave a mark."

She needed air.

"Call if you need me," she said as she climbed the stairs to her room, ready for the refreshing breeze on her balcony. Her head had barely poked through the trapdoor when she stopped. A feast of desserts stood in her room on a table she recognized as the one they used for cake displays downstairs. Stale crumbs littered the floor. She heard the droning buzz of her television alongside the menu theme of Ultimate Mecha Strike III.

"Hello?" Marinette whipped around, wondering if she had accidentally walked in on a surprise party. Nobody answered. Then she saw something she never thought she would ever see again.

She bolted up the last few steps and ran to it. The bookbag was the same shade of blue as she remembered. She flipped the thing over and found the impossible words stitched into the side: 'Property of Alya Cesaire.' Maybe she really was going crazy. There was no way Alya's bag could be here. Marinette had brought it to her friend when she first visited her cell and yet there it was, an exact replica. Or maybe not so exact… Hanging off one of the straps was an odd little decoration. It kinda resembled a ladybug.

Before she could investigate further, her ears picked up another sound over the TV. A single note, endlessly echoing. It was faint, ominous, ethereal, almost otherworldly. And it came from under a pile of cards on the floor. Marinette carefully pushed the mess aside and found a jade dragon broken into three pieces. Curiously, each piece stood atop a Tarot card. The music ebbed and flowed from the chunks of stone which seemed to be somehow _glowing_.

Magic. The source of Akumas!

Marinette scrambled back. This was it! She was next! She was going to wake up in a cell like Alya, locked away by her own boyfriend, never to see the outside world again! She curled into a ball and waited for the end. The note continued. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Nothing had changed. The stones continued their song, ignoring her fear. Alya's account of how she was akumatized came back to her. Anger. Anger was what triggered the magic. Good thing she was more scared and confused than that.

She ran to her trapdoor and rushed down the stairs. Just as she was about shut the door, she took one last look at the magical dragon. She knew she should run. She was taught to always run and let the police handle it. Let Cat Noir handle it. But that… feeling was back. That urge to do something.

' _I can help.'_

Panic still icing her veins, the girl climbed back into her room and examined the dragon. The magic didn't attack or try to akumatize her. It simply rang. This didn't make sense. Master Fu had warned all of Paris to stay away from magic. It was dangerous. Wait… Master Fu! He would know what this was. Maybe it was good magic, like what Cat Noir used.

Using Alya's bag, she carefully scooped up the statue, cards and all.

* * *

La Sante was a prison first constructed in 1867 to house 500. Over the years, that number increased to over 2,000. With its new variant of occupants, the fortress was again redesigned under Master Fu's direction to both keep Akuma victims in and everything else out.

Especially butterflies.

Windows were cemented over. Air ducts were netted. Every point of entry and exit had to two sets of reinforced doors. Mayor Bourgeois had even suggested Fu cast an ancient spell of shielding over the entire complex. Fu had to remind him that he was a wise old _man_ not a wise old wizard.

The precautions had worked. Nobody who had been housed in La Sante had been re-akumatized… yet.

It had been nearly a year. Black butterfly after black butterfly had fluttered through shadows and hidden in corners, searching, prodding for a weakness. Most of the magic insects were found within a day and immediately destroyed by either Cat Noir or the Paris Police Force. But this one… this one had been smart. It had avoided all the cameras, memorized the guard routes, and found the one place Fu forgot.

Underground.

La Sante was originally built on the former Coal Market of Paris. The initial architect had refurbished the drains once used to carry the rocky sludge away of the city. They still let out into the same sewage line from 150 years ago. It flapped its wings hard to stay just above the gurgling water, twisting with the rusted pipes. With no way of knowing which turns to take, the insect chose at random until it saw light at the end of the tunnel. Its tiny legs pulled its body out of the drain and scaled the metal. It sat on the sink edge and saw its target: a young girl with long black hair.

She was crying into her hands, "Rose, I'm sorry. I am so sorry." She held something tightly against her chest.

The butterfly flew towards it.

* * *

Fu stared at the black screen, his dark reflection showed tired eyes surrounded by constantly growing bags. He had waited long enough. He needed to resume his watch of the newest prisoner, no matter how much sorrow it brought. He reached for the on switch.

"Master Fu," a voice called on the intercom.

Fu swiveled from the cell monitors to the live feed of the front guard station. Roger was looking back at him with a girl standing behind him. This one normally came to see Alya if Fu's memory was correct. Fu sighed and pressed the red answer button, "She can schedule a visit with Alya for tomorrow."

"Actually, sir, she wants to—"

The girl jumped in front of Roger, "Master Fu, you need to see this! I think it's magic!" She quickly held up what looked like a backpack. Fu groaned. Another well-meaning child who thought they had found the key to breaking the Akuma curse. It was best to thank them for their time and send them on their way. He pressed the red button again ready to do as such, when he saw something else that was red. Hanging from the backpack strap. A little circle with… polkadots.

"...Roger, bring her here and call Cat Noir."

* * *

"And I thought, 'that can't be Alya's bag. I gave it to her months ago.' But it totally is! See it even has her name that I stitched in for her," Marinette explained, her excitement levels were going ballistic. _The_ Master Fu, the Great Guardian, Cat Noir's boss was listening to her. Sort of. He kept staring at the weird ladybug keychain.

"Princess?"

Marinette jumped at the sudden presence of her boyfriend. Officer Roger shut the door behind him and assumed his position at Fu's side.

"What are you doing here?"

Marinette took a deep breath, "I told you, I can help."

"Help? This isn't a game, Marinette! You could seriously get hurt!" Marinette hated when he talked down to her like this. He was right. She wasn't a superhero. But that didn't mean him not believing in her didn't sting. His gloved claws gently took her shoulders, "Come on, I'll take you home."

She slapped them away, "No!" That feeling came back. That urge. That need. "I'm _not_ going to stand around anymore and do _nothing_ while you fight! Doing the right thing will get me hurt? Fine, then _let me_ get hurt!"

She covered her mouth. She hadn't meant to say all that. The words that had spilled out felt like they came from someone else entirely but they were the truth. She didn't want to be protected like a fragile doll. Cat Noir's shock held for a short time and she worried he would still force her to leave. Finally, he calmed down and looked away. Marinette couldn't tell what he was thinking, but, the fact remained, she was still here.

"Marinette," she turned back to Master Fu, who was observing her with an odd smirk, "Did you find anything else?"

She unzipped the bag and reached in. Using the Tarot cards as a makeshift plate, she placed the glowing stone dragon on the table between them. Its heavenly tone filled the room. Roger instinctively reached for his weapon, but Fu waved for him to stop.

"I haven't seen one of these charms in decades," Fu whispered. "Old magic. The magic of wishes." He pointed to the three Tarot cards beneath the pieces, "Combined with these and you get a rather peculiar result."

Marinette gasped, "So it is magic? Can we use it to fight the Akumas?"

Cat Noir's ears perked.

Roger waited with bated breath.

"Even better," Fu picked up the dragon head, its Tarot card lifting up with the head as if the two were attached, "If we put this back together, we may find Ladybug."

"Who?" asked Marinette.

The next few moments were a blur. Marinette saw Roger tear the dragon head out of Fu's hands, throw the old man out of his chair and grab the rest of the statue. In a flourish of red, the heavyset grown man shrunk to the same jester from earlier that afternoon. Belting out a laugh, the Akuma dashed out of the room, Cat Noir hot on her tail.

Marinette was the only one standing. Her mind barely registered what had just happened. She didn't even hear the sudden jailbreak alarms blaring. It was Fu's coughing that roused her. She pulled the man back to his feet, "Master Fu, are you alright?"

"Do not worry about me. I'm far more spry than I look," he said, gritting against the back pain.

She lowered him into the chair while searching for a way to ease him, "I'll get you some ice."

He gripped her arm tightly, "Wait," he gazed at her knowingly, "Do you recall the first time we met?"

"...Huh?" she stopped, derailed by his sudden question.

"About a year ago, I was having a hard time crossing the street. A car was about to run me over. And you pulled me to safety."

Marinette blinked at his strange claim until… yes… it was the morning before she met Adrien for the first time. She was almost late for class and she had spilled all her… "You ate my macarons!" she shouted in realization.

He gave a throaty chuckle, "Only a selfless, pure heart can wield the Ladybug Miraculous and purify the Akumas. I thought for sure it would be you. And from the way you handle Cat Noir, I believe Ladybug may still be in there."

Marinette tried to comprehend what he was saying, but she was failing, "What are you talking about? I'm who?"

He pulled out a pair of earrings. Marinette looked back at Alya's bag. The keychain had the same design as the pair in his hand. "That charm and the Tarot cards attached to it are keeping you from being chosen." He pushed the remaining deck of Tarot cards to her. "You must change them before the Akuma gives them to Hawkmoth."

She tugged on her hair. Why did magic have to be complicated? "So, what you're saying is, if I switch up the cards on that dragon, I'll become a superhero?"

"Not exactly," his attention drifted to the monitors of the prisoners panicking in their cells. "It's wish magic. The wish will end and the world will change back to the way it was. Which could mean anything. They could be free. You could have Alya back."

Marinette was overjoyed. It could be real. Paris wouldn't have to live in terror. She could be a superhero like Adrien! Saving lives! Protecting the city!

Not being able to help her parents run the bakery...

Having to bail on her friends...

No time for Adrien...

"What if I was the one who made the wish?" her voice cracked, "The only good thing in my life is Adrien. What if that's what I wished for? What if, in the world the way it was, we're not together and the only chance we had was through these cards?" The horrific idea of losing that overprotective, loving dork made her body quake. "Maybe it would be better to stay here where fate let us be together," she whimpered.

There was no answer, just the alarm down the hall. She truly felt alone.

"Let me tell you a secret about fate. It's a choice." She looked at Master Fu. There was care and understanding in his eyes. He handed her the Tarot deck. With a little strain, he dragged a small trash can over and placed it before her. "The cards do not decide where your life goes... you do, Marinette."

She looked between the cards and the trash. The choices were clear. She held the deck over the can opening. All she needed to do was let go.

That feeling was back, sparked by his words. The same feeling that had driven her to think about joining Cat Noir on the rooftops, chasing Akumas. Her grip on the deck tightened. If she, a normal girl, had already changed the world once, then maybe it was okay if she lost Adrien.

After all… what could possibly stop her from getting him back?

Maybe it was adrenaline or maybe she really had gone crazy. But, right there, in that room, Marinette didn't want to be Adrien's princess.

She wanted to fight.

* * *

Buildings whizzed by as the police cruiser raced down the street. The actual Officer Roger was behind the wheel. Marinette had found him locked in the Akuma's old cell. After freeing him, Fu ordered the policeman to provide Cat Noir with backup and to take Marinette with him. The man was apprehensive about bringing a citizen, a kid no less, into the combat zone, but Fu assured him Marinette would be necessary.

The girl herself was in the passenger seat going through the Tarot cards. She needed to find the right ones to break the spell. A combination that was the magical equivalent to a reset button. The constant potholes and sharp turns made it difficult. First one to stand out to her was 'The World' card. They needed to change the world. That fit, right?

"Got 'em! All cars, converge on the bridge!" Roger shouted on his radio. He hit the sirens.

Through the windshield, Marinette caught glimpses of the Akuma and Cat Noir on the roofs above.

The engine revved and Marinette was thrust back into her seat as Roger sped past the superpowered beings. With a yank to the steering wheel, the cruiser spun around, tires squealing and the vehicle stopped at the entrance to the Pont des Arts bridge. Seconds later, a dozen more police cars parked around them, blocking entry.

"Stay close, little lady," instructed Roger as they got out.

Without anymore buildings to use, the Akuma landed on the street before them. Policemen made a line, armed with riot shields and batons. Cat Noir landed behind her, staff at the ready. She was surrounded.

"Give it up, Akuma," Cat Noir said, "You're going back in the cage."

The creature growled at them, "You're not gonna stop me from getting there." She swung her arm, "Get out of my way!" Out of her hand arced a bright pink ray. Marinette ducked behind the car while the officers hid behind their shields.

Cat Noir flipped over the ray and charged full sprint at her. His staff twirled so fast, Marinette could barely see it. However, he wasn't swift enough to catch the Akuma. She sidestepped the attack at the last moment and pushed Cat Noir back with a powerful kick.

"Now!" Roger shouted over his megaphone.

The officers rushed the Akuma, shields first, like a stampede of wildebeests. The red jester simply hopped into the air and floated beyond their reach on some unseen magical wind. With a smirk, she flew towards the bridge.

"This is a No-Fly Zone!" Cat Noir snarked, planting a two-legged kick into the Akuma's back.

Marinette's face went pale as the creature tumbled out of the sky, heading right for _her!_ She dove out of way. The Akuma hit the cobblestone road hard and rolled several times. During the fall, something slid from the creature to Marinette: a simple pink notebook. Marinette stepped back, the magic aura surrounding the book made it look like it was bubbling with darkness. Marinette didn't know what to do. Should she find a new hiding spot? She was the closest. Should she attack?

"I need to see her..." she heard the Akuma sprawled on the ground snivel. She sounded dizzy and… _sad._ "I need to tell her..."

Something flittered down and landed on the pink notebook. It was a Tarot card, fallen from Marinette's hand. Specifically, the card showing a clownishly dressed man oblivious to the fact that he was about to walk off a cliff; under him were the words 'The Fool.' Marinette certainly sensed she was being foolish as she picked up the notebook. Nothing came from the touch. The magic didn't infect her. Emboldened, she walked towards the Akuma.

"Princess! Get away from that thing!"

Marinette shot a glare at the boy and he quickly shut his mouth.

She knelt next to the recovering Akuma. The jester started at the girl's sudden closeness. "They won't fight you if you take me with you," Marinette said trying to calm her own frightened heart. The Akuma examined Marinette with uncertainty. She took notice of the distance the police and Cat Noir were keeping. Then, a shining pink outline of a butterfly appeared on the Akuma's face like a mask. Marinette didn't know what that meant but managed to keep her disarming smile going. The creature shook away the mask with some effort as if she was resisting something. Marinette held out the notebook to her, "Let's go see her, together."

* * *

"We are gonna have a serious talk about you and putting yourself in danger!" Cat Noir shouted from across the river. He wasn't allowed to come any closer or even try to follow as Marinette and the Akuma walked away.

The Akuma said nothing, making sure her hostage was always between her and any policemen that showed up on their route. Marinette was barely holding herself together. The jester's pinkish-red hand and was heavy on her shoulder. She had chosen to travel with an Akuma, the most dangerous creature in Paris. A monster driven by blind fury that brandished untold magical powers only dreamt about in fairytales. This is what being a hero is about, isn't it? Putting yourself at risk for the sake of others without a second thought? Oh God! It was official, she had gone both completely crazy and certifiably insane!

"There." The Akuma guided Marinette towards the giant building on the corner.

Doctors, nurses and patients parted for the duo as they made their way to the hospital receptionist. "Rose," the Akuma demanded, "Rose Lavillant." Marinette couldn't tell if the Akuma was using her as a shield or a place to hide. From the creature's tone, Marinette could've sworn she was… ashamed?

On the bed the doctor brought them to slept a girl with blonde hair cut in a pixie style. She was petite, probably a full head shorter than Marinette. She recognized her as one of her classmates who she had never really spoken to before. The number of machines connected to Rose was concerning. Whatever was wrong with her, it was serious.

The Akuma at last moved from behind Marinette, leaving her in the doorway. There was hesitation in her steps, like a guilty child approaching a parent for punishment. She placed the pink notebook on the bed, "I brought it back, Rose. I know you said I could keep it but..." Her voice hitched, "I'm sorry I… I'm sorry I put you here." Never did Marinette imagine she would live to see an Akuma cry.

This wasn't a monster. This was a poor girl who had lost a friend, just like her.

Marinette entered the room only for the butterfly mask to reappear. With it came a renewed wave of anger blasting from the Akuma. She gnashed her teeth and her tears were replaced by boiling rage. "I'll fix you!" she growled, pulling out the jade dragon pieces, "Even if it means the entire world!"

Waves of magical energy erupted like gusts of wind from the dragon. Anything light enough was thrown around the tiny room, including the Tarot deck. "No!" Marinette fruitlessly grabbed at the cards, only nabbing one.

The rest collected in the Akuma's waiting palm, "I'll make a new world for you, Hawkmoth." The pink butterfly mask shone brightly as she tore off The Tower card and replaced it with The World card. "One where you can wake her up."

Marinette struggled to move forward against the magic, her only card bent in her grip. It was as if she was walking against a hurricane. "Wait!" her shout was barely audible over the storm, "I don't know who Hawkmoth is, but he's done nothing but ruin Paris! He doesn't care about Rose like you do! You have to stop!" Doubt seeped into the Akuma's eyes and Marinette thought she might have reached her. The butterfly mask dazzled more intensely than ever before. Any sign of emotion was lost and the Akuma resembled a zombie. It seemed Hawkmoth wasn't giving anymore chances and decided to take full control. There was no way Marinette could beat this. What could she possibly do? Then she saw the card she held...

The Akuma slipped The Fool under the next dragon piece, "A world where people would have to be fools to defy you!"

"A world where you control who lives and who dies?" Marinette called, showing off the Death card with a smug look.

The Akuma flicked her wrist and a small pink ray zapped the Death card out of Marinette's fingers. The winds carried it to the Akuma. Victory in front of her, she grabbed the card and screamed in pain! Her arms flailed as she dropped the Tarot card. She took another look and found a sharp pair of diamond-studded earrings pinned into the card.

"Careful, real diamonds can leave a mark," Marinette mocked, from the doorway. In her hands were the dragon pieces. In her gut reaction to the injury, the Akuma had accidentally knocked the pieces across the room to Marinette. Now Marinette stood in the center of the chaotic winds! She held a new card to the third dragon piece and it stuck like a magnet. The Akuma roared and pointed her arm at Marinette.

The normal girl of Paris smiled at the powering up pink ray as she pressed the dragon together. Blinding white light filled the room yet Marinette could still see what the last card said…

Strength.

* * *

The jade statue landed safely in Marinette's hands, inches from the hard floor.

"Whoa, close one. Nice catch, dude," commented Nino.

Alya started restacking the Tarot cards, "Okay, guys, how about we stop here before we almost accidentally break some other priceless Chinese artifact."

"Aww, I wanted a turn," Nino groaned.

Marinette felt as if she was a stranger watching her friends playfully jab at each other like nothing had happened. Here they all were, happy as can be. Did they all forget? The dragon in her grip could offer no answers. The cracks that had shattered its body from before were long gone without a trace of magical light. The room remained as cluttered with party snacks and games as before. She caught her reflection in the her vanity mirror. On her ears were not the diamond studs but her unmistakable Miraculous. She began to wonder if it was all just a dream. The memories certainly felt real. She could recall when Alya was taken away, how she never became friends with Nino, her first date with Adrien…

"Marinette?"

Her mind still in a haze, she slowly turned to Adrien who was waiting by the open trapdoor. Alya and Nino were already on their way down for the next big activity.

"You coming?" he asked.

Her body instinctively went into freak out mode as it realized she was alone with the boy. Yet that nervousness was overpowered by a desire to know, "Adrien… d-d-do you remember?"

"Remember?" She clung to a sliver of hope that he could affirm that it was all real. That in some other Paris far away, he was Cat Noir and they were together. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, "Oh! Nino's number, right. Thanks for reminding me." He pulled out his phone.

She released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Of course… why should she expect there to be an easy answer? Maybe it was real, maybe it was wishful thinking given life by too much sugar. She prayed Cat Noir never learned the two of them were going out in her fantasy world. He would undoubtedly use it as more flirting material.

"Oh wait," Adrien gave her a sheepish smile, "I just realized I don't have your number, Marinette."

A shiver ran up her spine. Whether or not the other Paris was a daydream, she could make it her reality. The only thing in her way was herself. She just needed to take that first baby-step.

No wishes.

No cards.

No fate.

She placed the dragon on the table.

"No problem, I'll give you mine and you can send me yours."

END

* * *

 _More? First of all, I hope you enjoyed my first ever Project ML story but do you want to see more of this little AU I came up with?_

 _Shall we explore a Miraculous world with no Ladybug?_

 _Or is this more of a one shot? Let me know!_


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